Velocipede



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W. G. RICH.

(No Model.)

VELOGIPEDE.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. G. RICH.

VBLOGIPBDB.

N0.-350;995. Patented Qot. 19, 1886.

6` on Zane yy 'WILLARD G. RICH, OF ROCHESTER, NEV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO TIIEII. B. SMITH MACHINE COMPANY, OF SMITIIVILIJIE, NEWY JERSEY.

VLOCEPDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 350,995, dated October19, 1886.

Application filed October 1T, i885.

(No model.)

To @ZZ whom it 71mg/ concertar Be itknown that I, VILLARD G. Rien, ofRochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have inventedcertain Improvements in Bicycles, Trieycles, de, of which the followingis a specitication.

This invention relates to those bicycles and trieycles in which thedrivingwheel is turned through the medium of clutch mechanism fromalternatelyaeting drums mounted loosely on its axle and rotated bystraps connecting with the pedals or footievers. As these machines aremost commonly constructed, a spring is mounted in each drum to turn itbackward and lift the adjacentpedal independently of the other. Thisconstruction is attended with serious troubles, among which are thefrequent breakage of the springs, rende-ring the driving devices on onesideinoperative, the weakening or settling of the springs, so that theyfail to lift the pedal to the proper height, the waste of power inovercoming the springs to depress the pedal, and in lifting the limb bymuscular power after each downstroke, and, more seri- 'ons than any ofthe others, the i'act that the weight oi" the rider is earrried largelyand sometimes wholly in the saddle, instead oi" on the pedals, theresult of which is great fatigue and the transmission of injuriousvibrations to the hase of the spine and the gluteal regions,

The first part ofmy invention is directed to overcome these evils; andit consists in a peculiar manner of connecting the drums with each otherand withlthe pedals by cords or equivalent iiexihle connections, ashereinafter fully explained, whereby the rotation of the drums isrendered positive in both directions, and the depression of each pedalcaused to edect the elevation ot' the other iu order that the weight ofeach lever will be counterbalanced tion ofone ot' the drums,showing themannerin which the cords are connected thereto and to the pedals. Figs.i and 5 are transverse sectional elevations of the clutch mechanism onthe line x .fr of Fig. 6, showing the parts in and out of action. Fig. Gis a cross-section onthe line g/ y oi' Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a longitudinalsection through the combined tool-box and housing for the guide-pulley.Fig. S is arear elevation ot' the same. Fig. 9 is a side elevation,partly in section, showing the manuerin which the guide-pulley isapplied to machines having a forward swiveled driving-wheel.

Referring to Fig. l, A represents the main or driving wheel ofthe Starmachine; B, themaiu frame in which the wheel is mounted; C, the frontsteering-wheel; I), the swiveling barby which the steering-wheel iscarried and eon trolled; E, one ot' the drums revolving loosely on theaxle ot' the main wheel, and provided with the internal clutch mechanismfor communicating motion thereto. rihis clutch mechanism is constructedot' the ordinary type, or of the form hereinafter explained; F, one ot'the Vpedals or foot levers; C, the flexible strap or band extending`i'rom the foot-lever to the forward side of the drum and wound backwardaround the latter i'or the purpose of imparting a forward rotationthereto when the pedal is depressed.

rlhe levers, straps, and drums are arranged in duplicate on the twosides oi the machine, and, with the exception of the peculiaritieshereinafter cXplai ned, they may 'ce constructed and arranged in thesame manner, as in the machines now in common use.

In applying my improvements I omit from the interior ot' thedriving-drum a spring commonly employed for el't'ecting its backwardrotation, and in lieu thereotl I employ a ileXible cord, chain, strap,orother iexible connection, H, passing over the pulley I, or other properguides at the top ot' the main frame, and eX- tending thence downwardt'rom opposite sides of the main wheels to the respective drums, aroundwhich its ends are wound from thci'or ward side, as plainly shown in thedrawings. rlhe arrangement is such that the depression of either levercauses a forward rotation of the adjacent drum, also causing the latterto draw down the attached end of the cord II,

IOO

the opposite end of which is thereby unwound from the opposite drum,turning the latter backward and lifting the second pedal. It will beobserved that the -cord H serves not only to effect the positivebackward rotation of the drum as the opposite drum is turned forward,but it also acts, through the drums and straps D, as a connectionbetween the two pedals, causing one to rise as the other is depressed,and preventing them from both descending at one time. Under thisconnection the weight applied to either pedal Inay be counterbalanced byweight applied to the other, and thus the rider is relieved of the laborof lifting the weight of .his legs after the downstroke and enabled toplace his entire weight at will upon'the two pedals for purposes ofcoasting. It will be seen that in this manner the rider is enabled notonly to remove his entire weight, it' desired, from the saddle incoasting, but also to carry his weight principally on his feet inpropelling the machine, thus giving the present style of machines thateaseof action which is so well understood in connection with theordinary crank-machine.

In order to permit the employment of connections which are sufficientlystrong and iiexible without rendering them unnecessarily large, and toavoid the necessity which would otherwise arise of increasing the weightofthe 'drums,I adopt the arrangement represented in Fig. 3, making useof a single connect1ng-cord, i

H, which winds upon themiddle of the drum, and of two connectingfcordaG,which wind on sides of the drum. I prefer to make use of steel or othermetallic cord consisting of ne strands of wire twisted or braidedtogether.

`Instead of using two separate cords doubled at the middle, as plainlyrepresented in Fig. 3, the ends of the cords may be attached to the drumin any proper manner; but I recommend as a satisfactory device for thepurpose a metal clip-such as shown at a in Fig. B-its upper edge beingdoubled to forma V- shaped socket to hold the end of the cord H, whileits lower edge is provided with a lip, c, to re ceive the cord G.'

In order to prevent interference of the cords to guide them accuratelyto their places, and to support them in such manner as to preventunequal wear, I prefer to provide the drums with peripheral groovestherefor, as shown in the drawings; but itis to be understood that thesegrooves are not a necessary feature. It is also to be understood thatwhile I prefer to make use of the rounded cord, as shown in thedrawings, dat straps of leather, metal, or Woven material, or straps ofother forms in crossseetion, or metal chains or connections of otherform may be used. f

The pulley I may be constructed in any appropriate form. I recommend theemployment of a coveringsuch as shown at K, Figs. I, 7, and S-formed inone end of a stationary tool-box secured tothe top of the main frameimmediately in rear of the seat. This box is provided with alongitudinal slide, d, adapted to be drawn backward over the top'of thepul ley.

Referring now to the facile type of machine represented in Fig. 2, Arepresents a drivingwheel, which in this instance is mounted in a forkYswiveled in the forward end of a perch or backbone, which carries asmall trailing wheel at the rear end, the general arrangement beingidentical with that of ordinary crankmachines. A

E represents the foot-levers,pivoted at their forward ends to thedownward and forward extensions of the steering-fork and connected bystraps or cords G with the drivingdrums E. These drums are mountedloosely on the axle and connected with the main wheel by a clutchniechanism,and are connected with each other by a cord, H, passing overthe guide-pulley at the top of the fork I. rIhe arrangement of the drumsand connections are identical with that in the first-describedV form. ofmachine, and needs therefore no explanation. In this form of machine Ipropose to mountthe guidepulley on the brakesupporting stud, whichextends forward from the front of the fork, as usual, the stud beingenlargedv and elongated, in order to extend through the pulley andreceive the brake at its forward end, as shown in detail'in Fig. 9.

Vhile I have represented myimprovements as applied to two of the leadingforms of machines, it is to be understood that they may be employed inlike manner in all the leading machines in which levers anddriving-clutches are employed on opposite sides, the only requirementbeing that the guide-pulley will be so located that the connecting-cordG will not interfere with the actions of the rider or the other movingparts.

While I have represented but two cords passing from the drums to eachpedal, it is to be understood that four or more may be employed,provided they are divided and scpa` rated in such manner as to admit theconnecting-cord II between them, and instead of a single cord, II, twoor more cords may be employed. The application of the pedal-cords to thetwo edges of the pulley,instead of the one edge,is advantageous in thatit avoids the side strain and friction which would occur iflthepedal-cords were arranged to pull downward on one edge while theconnectingcord would pull upward on the opposite edge.

Passing now to the construction of the clutch mechanism for impartingmotion from the drums to the wheel,attention is directed to Figs. 4, 5,and 6, in which f represents the axle iixed to the wheel g, a pulleykeyed firmly to the ends of the axle, its outer edge notched to receivea number of peripheral pawls or dogs, h, which are dovetailed orotherwise secured thereto in such manner as to slide outward and inward,their outer edges being provided with ratchet-teeth adapted to engagecorresponding teeth formed on the interior of the IOO IIO

.IIS

surrounding pawl or drum E. The dogs may slide inward and outward, atany appropriate angle to a radial line, the only requirement being thatthey should be adapted to engage and disengage the teeth of the drum bytheir to-and-fro movements.

To the series ot' dogs Iconnect, by screws fi, or in any otherappropriate manner a ring, k, which is acted upon by one or morefrictional plates, Z, seated in the hub and urged downward by means ofspiral springs m. friction devices tend to turn the ring forward andbackward with the drum, and the ring in turn,aeting upon the dogs,causesthem to slide inward and outward with reference to theircarrying-pulleys G. Vhen the drum is turned forward,the friction devicesturn'the ring ahead, and the result is, that the dogs are forced outwardinto engagement with the teeth of the drum, as shown in Fig. 4,therebylocking the drum rigidly to the wheel, which is compelled to turnforward therewith, when the reverse movement of the drinn causes thefriction devices to urge the ring backward, causingit to retract thedogs,so that the drum and the main wheel may revolve independently ofthepulley and axle in a noiseless manner.

XVhile it is preferred to employ the spiral springs fm', and to connethem, as shown in the drawings, by a tubular nut inserted through theside of the frame, it is to be understood that friction-springs of anyother appropriate form may be employed to act upon the dogcontrollingring.

In order that the dogs may be locked out of action, to admit of themachine being rolled forward and backward at will, I propose to apply tothe side ot the pulley f/ a pivotal springlinger, o, having at one end astud which may be seated in a hole in one of the dogs when the latter isretracted, as plainly shown in Figs. 6 and l0.

Having thus described my inventiomwhat I claim isl. In a bicycle orsimilar vehicle, the combination, substantially as shown, ot' thedriving-wheel, the two driving-drums connected therewith by clutchmechanism, the flexible cord or connection H, passing over anintermediate pulley and attached at its two ends to the respective drumsmidway between their These edges, the foot-levers arranged one adjacentto each drum, and two cords, G, connected with each foot-lever andextending thence to the adjacent drum on opposite sides of the cord H,whereby side strains upon the drums are prevented and their tendency totip sidewise avoided.

2. In a bicycle, the combination ot' the wheeled' driving-drums E, eachprovided with three peripheral grooves, the eonnectingcord H, passedover an intermediate pulley and seated in the middle grooves of thedrums, the foot-levers, and the cords G, extending two from each leverto the outer grooves of the adjacent drum.

3. In combination with the driving-drum and the foot-lever for operatingthe same, the operating-cord G, doubled upon itself and secured to theplate a, connecting the cord at its middle with the drum, whereby t-hecord is secured in position and its two ends separated to admit theintermediate cord.

4. In combination with the independentlyrevolving internally-tootheddrum, the pulley G, having peripheral notches therein, the tootheddrivingdogs carried thereby, the ring connected to the dogs, and thefrictional devices applied to the drum and acting upon the ring,substantially as shown.

5. In combination with the driving-drum D, toothed internally, theinternal driving pulley, G, provided with peripheral notches, and thetoothed dogs secured in said notches by a sliding connection and adaptedto slide into and out of engagement with the teeth of the drum, asdescribed.

(i. In combination with the drum, the movable dogs to engage the same,and the ring to control the dogs, the friction-plate Z, the spiralsprings m, and the external nut to confine said springs.

7. In combination with the movable dogs and their connecting-ring, thelatch 0,whereby the dogs may be held out of engagement.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day ofOctober, 1885, in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

VILLARD G. RICH.

Vitnocses:

PHILIP T. DODGE, SIDNEY P. HOLLINGSWORTH.

